The rise and spectacular fall of the friendship between the two great philosophers of the 18th century, Jean-Jacques Rousseau and David Hume, reverberated on both sides of the English Channel. As the relationship unraveled, each fired off a volley of rancorous letters, which were then published and devoured by aristocrats, intellectuals, and common readers alike. This lively and revealing book explores the unfolding rift between these great Enlightenment thinkers, particularly in the connections between their lives and their thoughts, and how the failure of each to understand the other—and himself—illuminates the limits of human understanding.

"This book is an exceptional contribution to the study of both western political philosophy and the history and politics of 18th-century France. There are fascinating insights on every page."—Roger D. Masters